THE POISE PROJECT: alexander technique for the 21st century

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THE POISE PROJECT

2021 TIMELINE OF ACTIVITIES

WE ARE PROUD OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2021 - Our sixth year of activity!

Please consider making a Donation to The Poise Project! Click HERE

To view our 2021 END-OF-YEAR REPORT, click here

January 2021

  • “Poised for Parkinson's" Course
    Virtual for participants from the South Carolina coastal area

    • Due to the pandemic, this Parkinson's Foundation funded course was again moved from in-person delivery to online delivery

      • 5 PWP & 4 Care Partners were served

      • Pre- and post-course surveys, and evaluation forms were collected


February 2021


  • Awarded $2,000 from the American Center for the Alexander Technique (ACAT)

    • Award will be donated to The Poise Project after ACAT’s disbursement of assets is approved by the NY State Attorney General’s Office


March 2021

  • International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association conference
    Virtual

    • Rajal Cohen and Monika Gross led a two-hour interactive presentation on AT research & The Poise Project’s strategic model.

    • Monika continues to participate in ISMETA’S post-conference “COMMUNITY CONNECT” Zoom meetings.


  • Awarded a $6,000 Alzheimer's Foundation of America Grant

    • For expansion of the AT-based "Partnering with Poise" course to online delivery via Zoom for the first time.

    • 2 courses were delivered to care partners of people living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. (see below for details)

    • Recruitment was opened to all of the United States for the first time.

    • 2 AT teachers were trained in the care partner course protocol & in how to adapt it to online delivery.


  • Presentation for Hôpital Gui de Chauliac Département de Neurologie Staff
    Montpellier France

    • Marie-Laure Deplaix delivers a PowerPoint presentation and explanation of The Poise Project’s AT for Parkinson’s program for clinical staff at the Montpellier Hospital: “Le Rôle de la Technique Alexander et du Spécialiste de la Technique Alexander dans une Equipe de Soins de Santé Interdisciplinaires” (“The Role of Alexander technique & the Alexander technique specialist on an Interdisciplinary Care Team”)

  • MEET THE AUTHOR: Regina Stratl discusses her new biography of Irene Tasker

    • The Poise Project hosted a live “Meet the Author” event.

    • Regina Stratl, author of "Irene Tasker: Her Life and Work with the Alexander Technique" was interviewed by publisher Jean Fischer.

    • A lively Q&A followed the interview.

    • Attended by 200 people from around the world, and video recording viewed by many more.

    • We would make a suggestion for a donation of $10-$25 when viewing this recording, as this event was a fundraiser for The Poise Project. Thank you! https://vimeo.com/529135255

      Donations can be made at: paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2891341

April 2021

  • Women’s Health Awareness Symposium — Race & Health: Changing the Narrative, Reaching for Equity
    NC Central & Women’s Sorority. Virtual.

    • Attended, gained knowledge, found possible NC partners to reach out to.


  • Decolonization Psychology & Research Symposium
    Columbia University Teacher’s College. Virtual.

    • Attended, gained knowledge, found possible NYC partners to reach out to.


  • “Poised for Parkinson's" Course
    Virtual for participants from North & South Carolina

    • Due to the pandemic, this Parkinson's Foundation funded course was again moved from in-person delivery to online delivery

      • 7 participants (4 PWP, 3 Care Partners) were served

      • Included in our IRB approved pilot study to research how outcomes from our online courses will compare with our in person courses. Pre- and post-course virtual physical functioning & posture assessments were done, as well as pre- and post-course surveys and interviews, and evaluation forms were collected.


  • The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Conference.
    Virtual.

    • Attended 3-day virtual conference. Panels & presentations by medical & allied health professionals, people living with paralysis, & family care partners. The Poise Project submitted a grant proposal to fund the Partnering with Poise course for care partners of people living with paralysis. (not funded)


  • National Center for Complimentary & Integrative Health Diversity in Research symposium.
    Virtual.

    • How to remove barriers to involve underserved populations in research, and how to design meaningful research projects that will be translational to clinical practice.


May 2021

  • World Parkinson’s Congress. Virtual Conference
    Virtual

    • An extra WPC organized due to the social isolation implications from the pandemic for the worldwide Parkinson’s community.


  • “Poised for Parkinson's" Course
    Virtual for participants from North & South Carolina

    • Due to the pandemic, this Parkinson's Foundation funded course was again moved from in-person delivery to online delivery

      • 6 PWP & 4 Care Partners were served

      • Included in our IRB approved pilot study to research how outcomes from our online courses will compare with our in person courses. Pre- and post-course virtual physical functioning & posture assessments were done, as well as pre- and post-course surveys and interviews, and evaluation forms were collected.



  • Parkinson’s Association of the Carolinas Move It! Walk.
    Charlotte NC.

    • First live event in almost a year and a half!

    • 3 team members had a table, gave “Poise Tune Ups”, took “Poise Takeaway” care photos, collected contact information for future classes. 2 couples signed up for the "Poised for Parkinson’s” course starting the following week.

    • Reconnected with PAC staff and other community partners. Networked with new allied health professionals in the Charlotte area.


  • Alexander Technique Authors Book Club Interview and Q & A

    • Monika Gross is interviewed via Zoom by Rossella Buona and speaks about ways that The Poise Project works with language to communicate about AT to the public, and to other specific industry professionals. The importance of vetting written or spoken content especially by members of the public and members of the professions that you wish to communicate with. Question & Answer section with attendees was at the end as well. The video recording can be seen here: https://youtu.be/HARgtLXoEt8

July 2021

  • engAGED Summit on Social Isolation
    Virtual.

    • Attended, gained knowledge, and identified potential partners for our online courses.

August 2021

  • "Partnering with Poise" course delivered
    National. Virtual.

    • Our Alzheimer’s Foundation of America AT-based "Partnering with Poise" course was delivered for the first time both virtually and to a nationally recruited group of care partners of people living Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

    • 6 care partners of people living Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.were served.

    • We received IRB approval from the University of Idaho to include this course in our research on outcomes of Alexander technique training for family care partners, in order to compare outcomes for this online course with outcomes from our in person course pilot study.


  • ACRM Webinar - “Psychosocial Determinants of Cognitive Health: Implications for Community Based Non-Pharma Interventions. Hosted by the Aging Research & Geriatric Rehab Networking Group. Virtual.

    • Dr. Daniel Gan presented on the implications of community-based cohesion in research, and the challenge of virtual interventions in at-risk communities.

September 2021

  • 98th American Congress for Rehabilitation Medicine Conference
    Virtual

    • Rajal Cohen and Monika Gross Led a half-day instructional course, “Learn how Alexander Technique Interventions Can Complement and Enhance Rehabilitation Research and Interdisciplinary Clinical Practice”; led half-hour interactive AT session for interested delegates with great success - one in a series of three such complimentary sessions that Monika had proposed.

    • Attended many symposium presentations related to bringing AT specialists into interdisciplinary care settings.


  • International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Conference
    Virtual

    • Marie-Laure Deplaix, Rajal Cohen PhD, Monika Gross, and Dr. Stephanie Young teamed together at a virtual exhibit booth reaching 13,000 delegates from 143 countries. Lots of interactions, both via chat and via Zoom conversations, with new and renewed medical and allied health professionals.

  • "Partnering with Poise" course delivered
    National. Virtual.

    • Our Alzheimer’s Foundation of America AT-based "Partnering with Poise" course was delivered for the second time both virtually and to a nationally recruited group of care partners of people living Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

    • 11 care partners of people living Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.were served.

    • The course was included in our IRB approved pilot study through the University of Idaho to compare outcomes for this online course with outcomes from our in person course pilot study.

    • A control group of 9 care partners was also recruited.

  • NIH - Helping to End Addiction Longterm (HEAL) Initiative Multidisciplinary Working Group.
    Virtual.

    • Attended and interacted via chat with panelists.

  • France Parkinson’s event in Montpellier France.

    • Marie-Laure Deplaix promoted “Prêt pour Parkinson” courses in France, based on The Poise Project’s “Poised for Parkinson’s” course. Shared information and gathered contacts from the Parkinson’s community in her region.

  • Methodological Approaches for Whole Person Research Summit
    NIH - National Center for Complimentary & Integrative Health. Virtual.

    • The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health’s new strategic plan defines whole person research as including three components:

      • Exploring the fundamental science of interconnected systems

      • Investigating multicomponent interventions or therapeutic systems

      • Examining the impact of these interventions on multisystem or multiorgan outcomes

      This Whole Person Research Workshop discussed examples of research studies in these three areas from diverse fields and explore methodologies potentially appropriate for whole person research. 


October 2021

  • Alexander Technique Diversity Coalition.
    Virtual.

    • Educational presentation delivered on detailed historical background offering a perspective regarding photos from published editions of Body Learning by Michael Gelb, and the harm they engendered as expressed to AT professionals in interactions with contemporary pupils.

    • Notes from this presentation can be viewed by Clicking HERE.

  • APTA (Association Française des Professeurs de la Technique Alexander), Annual Meeting.
    Beaune, France.

    • Marie-Laure Deplaix leads an interactive workshop presentation about The Poise Project, and some best practices in adapting AT for people living with Parkinson’s.

    • Gathered contacts of AT professionals for team work towards the “Prêt pour Parkinson” initiative in France.

November 2021

  • National Institutes of Health Program Funding & Grants Administration Seminar
    Virtual

    • Rajal Cohen and Monika Gross participated in a 4-day intensive seminar in navigating all aspects of NIH grants and programming. Met one-to-one for 30 minute via Zoom to discuss options for grants for Alexander technique focused research with 9 Program Officers from NIH Institutes:

      • NIA (Aging); NIDA (Drugs & Addiction); NICHD/NCMRR (Children’s Health & Human Development - Medical Rehab Research); NINDS (Neurological Disorders & Stroke); NCCIH (Complimentary & Integrative Health); NIDCD (Deafness & Communication Disorders); NIAMS (Arthritis, Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases); SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research); The Fogarty International Center.

  • Connection & Listening Training.
    SeekHealing, Asheville NC

    • Two-day group exploration of connection-based interventions for people bonded to substances and other habitual behaviors.

  • Developing & Accelearting Age Tech & Digital Health Solutions: Perspectives & Insights from C-Suite Leaders.
    NIH - Small Business Education and Entrepreneurial Development (SEED). Virtual.

    • Gained knowledge of opportunities and trends in the aging in place & longevity market.

    • The Poise Project is looking for all possible options for bringing the AT principles to support both family care partners and direct care professional caregivers.


  • NIH - Funding Opportunities on Social Factors in Neurological Diseases & Disorders re Social Isolation.

    • Learned more about how dyad-based interventions, which The Poise Project as been actively engaged in researching, are of interest in the health of aging populations and in women’s health.

December 2021

  • 4th Longevity Innovation Summit: What’s Next?
    Virtual.

    • “Now in its fourth year, the What’s Next Longevity Innovation Summit helps leaders in the innovation ecosystem connect, and informs entrepreneurs and investors who want to understand how to navigate the regulatory environment and build relationships with the government and the nonprofit sector.

      Typically, this conference takes place in Washington, DC, but this year’s conference was virtual. With the theme Innovation, Investments, Infrastructure and Influencers, it offered DC-insiders’ perspectives on the fast-paced changes happening in our government, including the effects of stimulus funding and the infrastructure plan, Medicare, Medicaid and regulatory issues, as well as the global impact of COVID-19 and recovery from the resulting economic recession, all of which are bringing about unprecedented changes that will ultimately affect the longevity economy.”

    • The Poise Project is well positioned to help forge a path for AT to be an innovative and impactful approach in the aging & longevity field!

  • Advancing Race Equity Through Accountable Leadership.
    Maine Association of Nonprofits (MANP) in partnership with the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits. Virtual.

    • Staff from ProInspire led an interactive webinar on how to make accountability central to nonprofits practices and actions.

    • Attended the “Continuing the Converstation” Zoom session later that week, as well.

2021 - Monthly

  • American Congress for Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) Special Interest, Networking, & Taskforce Groups

    • Monika Gross was an active participant in ACRM special interest groups, representing Alexander technique to allied health professionals involved in clinical rehab research and practice:

      • Neurodegenerative Diseases NG

      • Parkinsonism & Related Movement Disorders TF

      • Aging Research & Geriatric Rehabilitation NG

      • Athlete Development & Sports Rehab NG

      • Complimentary &Integrative Rehabilitation Medicine NG

      • International NG - Refugee Empowerment TF

      • Stroke Movement Interventions TF

      • Stroke Aphasia & Communications Disorders TF

      • Brain Injury Interdisciplinary SIG

      • Military-Veterans Affairs NG

      • Spinal Cord Injury SIG

    • Monika was awarded 2 Service Commendation certificates:

      • Aging Research & Geriatric Rehabilitation NG: Patient, Caregiver, Community Engagement Liaison

      • Complimentary &Integrative Rehabilitation Medicine NG: Member-At-Large